1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector assembly adapted to be mounted on a circuit board and the means of mounting same.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Connector assemblies of the type which electrically connect an elongated pin conductor with another circuit member are well known in the art. A connector assembly of this type includes a housing with a electrical terminal mounted therein to engage the elongated pin when the pin is inserted into the housing. In order to insure good electrical contact between the terminal of the connector assembly and the pin conductor, it is desirable to apply a large amount of terminal force against the pin conductor when the pin conductor is inserted into the housing. An example of this type of connector assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,697,926 which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 3,697,926 more particularly discloses a loop-shaped terminal which is initially compressed against the walls of the terminal receiving recess prior to the insertion of any pin conductor. Accordingly, when a pin conductor is inserted into the housing, the terminal which is already under compression is further compressed thereby producing a relatively large amount of force over a small area to insure electrical contact. Although this design has proven successful in general, the electrical interface produced may not be satisfactory for all kinds of applications.
Connector assemblies of the type above described are often mounted on a board member, such as a printed circuit board, and then subsequently soldered thereon. It has been proven desirable to have some initial mounting means associated between the connector assembly and the printed circuit board to hold the connector assembly in place prior to and during the soldering operation.
An example of one means to mount a connector assembly onto a printed circuit board prepatory to soldering is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,706,954 which has been assigned to the assignee of the present invention. In that patent, the housing includes a ledge formed thereon which is adapted to engage the edge of the printed circuit board. Simultaneously, the lead portions of the terminals of the connector assembly are inserted through openings formed in the printed circuit board. This design has not proven universally successful in that there may be a sufficient amount of lateral movement of the connector assembly over the board to cause the connector assembly to dismount itself during the handling of the board prior to the soldering operation.